A stint in Europe was a rite of passage for many early
California painters one hundred years ago. The Academie Julien in Paris
and other art academies were the destinations for ambitious painters when
"all things European" was the order of the day. No artist was
considered "finished" until he or she had copied paintings in
the Louvre or absorbed the lessons of the Impressionists and their peers.
With the imprimatur of a continental education, the returning painters found
increased respect. A regional school of art was born -- California Impressionism
-- which flourished here for over 30 years.

"Masters of Light" is the first international
exhibition of California plein-air paintings to tour Europe. This landmark
exhibition, comprised of 58 California Impressionist paintings, is assembled
from the Irvine Museum collections and loans from important private collections.

Artists represented include most of the greats -- Franz
Bischoff, Maurice Braun, Benjamin C. Brown, Colin Campbell Cooper, William
Ritschell, Guy Rose and other top names. The exhibition has been in the
planning stages for four years. It will debut at the Mona Bismarck Foundation
Museum in Paris, just across the river from the Eiffel Tower. The show will
continue there through December 14, 2002 when it will travel to Krakow,
Poland, and Madrid.

A full-color book with essays by Irvine Museum Executive
Director Jean Stern and Dr. William H. Gerdts, American Impressionism authority,
will accompany the exhibit. For details call: (949) 476-2565.

Pay Strong Feted

Ray Strong, veteran landscape painter and a founder of
Santa Barbara's OAK Group, was honored recently with the "Wilderness
Spirit Award" presented by the Wilding Art Museum in Los Olives. Strong,
who is approaching his centennial year, was also recognized by the Santa
Barbara County Board of Supervisors for his decades of service to the county.
A retrospective of his work closed at the Museum in September.

Strong studied and taught at the Arts Students League in
San Francisco with such greats as Maynard Dixon,
Frank Von Sloun and George Post. Among his many accomplishments are bird
and animal murals which hang in the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
and, until recently, San Luis Obispo Natural History Museum. Those murals
were recently rescued during a remodel and now reside in the State Parks
collection.

A 30-page color catalog was published in conjunction with
the exhibition. Art historian Gloria Rexford Martin, Dennis Power, Executive
Director of the Oakland Museum, Dr. Michael Whitt, co-founder, along with
Strong, of the MALT show and OAK Group painters Larry Iwerks and Arturo
Tello made contributions to the book.

For more on Strong see: www.RayStrong.com.

Hughes Book Imminent

Edan Hughes, author of Artists in California, 1786-1940,
has donated his upcoming edition along with all future income and publishing
rights, to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. Hughes is putting the finishing
touches on the third and final edition of this important text.

Long considered an indispensable reference for collectors,
the book has been updated and enhanced, and will be more comprehensive than
before. The Crocker is in the process of raising funds for the project.
The two-volume set will sell for about $175.

To reserve an advance copy contact Scott Shields, Curator
of Art at: (916) 264-5423; or to contribute to its publication contact the
Membership Office at (916) 264-5802.

Sarah Beserra is Editor and Publisher of The Plein Air
Scene - a monthly newsletter on plein air painting in California. Please
see the website for The Plein Air Scene for email address and phone
number.

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